Vegan Beauty Review» vegan soap

Still Swooning Over Strawberry Hedgehog

Sunny — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:44:55 +0000

If you haven’t yet delved into the world of awesomeness that is Strawberry Hedgehog, you need to get on that shit STAT! What I love most about SH is that everything is free of gross, ass-nasty chemi ingredients, and all the yummy pamperin’ goods are super natural (not to be confused with supernatural), 100% vegan, and are made by one of the sweetest and craftiest ladies on the planet (word up, Tracy!)

My current faves:

Lemon-Jasmine Whipped Body Creme: Now, you might be anxiously searching SH’s site looking for this deluxe blend of whipped heavenly body crème, but you won’t find this particular scent! This is a tease for Strawberry Hedgehogs’s US Crème Club. For just $48, you can pamper yourself with 3 months of freshly made organic vegan whipped body crème (4oz jars) delivered straight to your door. This crème is made with the purest, most nourishing ingredients (organic, fair trade shea & cocoa butters with organic sweet almond & apricot kernel oils)—your skin will be dying to drink this yummy concoction up!

Cooling Blemish Spot Treatment, $12: Pre my eco/green beauty conscious days, I was all about Clearasil… nevermind that it sometimes bleached my clothes or zapped any bit of moisture out of my skin. Now that I’m all about incorporating more natural and organic beauty goods into my daily regimen, this blemish treatment is my savior. Btw, I ♥ that it’s a roll-on and I ♥ that it’s tingly! Sweet birch and chamomile essential oils decrease inflammation while tea tree essential oil kills bacteria to aid healing plus a proprietary blend of oils to minimize the appearance of pores. Just apply before beddies and allow it to do its thang.

Neroli Hydrating Facial Mist (orange blossom), $9: This multitasking refreshing spray is wunderbar! You can use it as a toner (which I’m all about—it spritzes so evenly, provides the perfect amount of moisture and has a delicate, relaxing aroma), a pillow spray, a pick-me-up aromatherapy boost, or you can use it to help set your mineral makeup. Badass, huh? This particular blend is calming-soothing-sensual which beautifully complements my bedtime routine to a T.

What’s your favorite Strawberry Hedgehog treat?

Strawberry Hedgehog Soap Club Giveaway!

Sunny — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 22:11:05 +0000

Calling all soapaholics! If you love pampering yourself with the most deluxe, heavenly, beautiful-smelling, all-natural soap—get ready to freak out!

In case y’all haven’t been clued into my obsession with Strawberry Hedgehog, checkity check check it (here: ♥, ♥ & ♥)!

Btw, I recently got to sample some of Tracy’s top-selling magical soap creations: Sweet Orange-Clove, Lavender-Vanilla, Sparkling Sapphire and Peridot Perfection—oh-em-gee! Not only are they insanely pretty-smelling, but they are beyond gorg! I just wanna sniff ‘em and stare at ‘em all day (and of course bathe with ‘em too) … Y’all are in for a treat!

Tracy, the mastermind and soap makin’ diva behind Strawberry Hedgehog is giving away a 3-month Platinum Soap Club Membership!!! If you win, you’ll receive three bars of fresh soap (a birthstone soap and two seasonal ones) the first week of the month for three months! This is an $87 value. The club itself is structured as a major discount, so it works out to $72.60 for 3-month Platinum Members (that’s 20% off retail). ←i.e. If you don’t win this contest, you should sign up for this soap club anyway (too good of a deal)!

To enter to win this 3-month Platinum Soap Club Membership, simply “like” Strawberry Hedgehog on Facebook, and comment below with your favorite Strawberry Hedgehog soap (if you’re new to this uh-mah-zing soap company, head on over to the website and pick a soap that you’re dying to try). A winner will be chosen at random and notified on Friday, Sept. 30th, 2011! Good luck! xx

Soap Hope: Cruelty-Free One-Stop Shop

Sunny — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 03:36:54 +0000

Variety is the spice of life… and I like it extra spicy, especially when it comes to changing up my beauty routine. Sometimes it can be a li’l tricksy hunting down the perfect hodgepodge of new vegan and cruelty-free beauty products to try, but thankfully we’ve got some fab online boutiques that help make shopping easy.

One such ab fab cruelty-free online store is Soap Hope. They carry a variety of cleaning products, cosmetics, bath & body goodies (and more), including some of our fave brands like Pangea Organics, Hugo Naturals, Indigo Wild and Fraiche.

Aside from having a variety of vegan goods, every purchase supports a good cause; proceeds from Soap Hope go toward helping aspiring, underprivileged women become educated, obtain healthcare, and start their own trade so they can support her families. For more info click here.

My Favorite Vegan Things Part 2

Sunny — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 20:23:14 +0000

List of goods:

Kymaro Body Shapers, $30 each
Kymaro Bust Up Cups, $30
Cruelty-free glow-in-the-dark nail polish from Claire’s, $8
Wembé Loofah Soap, 3 for $25
Grateful Body Toner, $18
Grateful Body Essential Eye Cream, $40
Intelligent Nutrients Organic Perfume Spray, $28
Heavenly Acupressure Mat, $30

What are some of your favorite vegan things?

So Fresh and So Clean!

Sunny — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 00:06:08 +0000

Special guest post by Mr. Cleaner

Hi VBR fans! I’m really excited to be guest-blogging on what I consider to be the best blog on the internet for compassionate and eco-friendly ladies. I know this site is typically very feminine, and being a dude, I don’t intend to disrupt too much, so I am going to talk a little bit about a product that both genders can enjoy equally: Dr. Bronner’s Magic Pure Castile Classic Soaps.

My personal favorite, and the one I’ve been using for literally decades, is the liquid version of the good Doctor’s Peppermint Soap. Now, Doctor B. also makes a bar soap version and offers many other scents as well, but peppermint is, and has always been, my all time favorite because it leaves me feeling tingly and minty-fresh from head to toe. I brush my teeth with minty freshness, so why not scrub my naughty bits with minty love as well?

If pepperminty freshness is not your cup of tea (see what I did there?), here are the other flavors the kind Doctor offers:

Eucalyptus, Almond, Rose, Baby (Mild), Citrus, Lavender, and Tea Tree

You can find Doctor Bronner’s soaps at most health food stores including Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods.

Why Conventional Soap Sucks

Sunny — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 00:04:10 +0000

Conventional soap is full of nasty crap that you don’t want on your skin—trust me. I’m just gonna break it on down…

Conventional soaps contain Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (foaming agent) = evil ingredient/suspected carcinogen
They are basically detergent bars made with petroleum (aka crude oil) products—yuck!
Those strong unnatural fragrances (read: chemicals) they add are inTOXICating…
Who wants to bathe with animal fat anyway? (think: Fight Club) I much prefer plant oils (like olive and coconut), thank you.
Why support companies that test on animals when you can go the cruelty-free route?

Seriously, doesn’t your skin deserve better?

Here are a few vegan, cruelty-free soap companies that I highly recommend:

Strawberry Hedgehog – Check out the Candy Corn and Pumpkin Spice soaps, people!

Dr. Bronner’s Soaps – LOVE their peppermint liquid soap; I use it every day! It’s the ultimate tingly, minty fresh maker!

Herbaria – The French Lavender bar is amah-zing.

Maui Soap Company – Try the Lime Litsea soap. This one is great for the kitchen sink.

Maui Tropical Soaps – My fave is Coconut Mango; it’s a fruity tropical delight.

Hawaiian Bath & Body Soaps – Try the Mango-Papaya soap… smells insanely delicious (I dare you not to eat it)!

Kalliste Soaps -The only place I know that has wine-scented soaps.

Mountain Girl Soap – Highly recommend the Rosemary Mint Bar – earthy & divine!

Nothing beats natural soap that’s 100% handcrafted, made in small batches, fresh, chemical-free, cruelty-free and vegan.

What are some of your favorite vegan bars of soap?

Spray Lotion and Wine Scented Soap? Yes, Please!

Sunny — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 22:32:34 +0000

Yup, that’s right! I found a vegan company that makes lotion for those days you feel like spritzing on your moisturizer rather than slathering it on. And wine scented soaps?! I found a whole bunch of cool skin care goodies from Kalliste Bath & Body, and they’re all handmade, mostly organic, natural and 100% vegan. My faves…

Soap Bars ($6.50): These soaps are not only delicious looking, but they are delicious smelling, too! All Kalliste natural soaps are made with vegetable glycerin and pure organic oils. Did you know a lot of conventional soaps are made with animal fats and oils (among other nasty ingredients)? Barfies! Anyhoo, I got my hands on a Riesling Fruit Bar and a Merlot Spice Bar of soap and O.M.G. First of all, they were beautifully wrapped (felt like Christmas came early), and I could smell them before I even unwrapped them. These soaps smell feminine and bold, floral and fruity and simply… pretty. I may not drink wine in real life but I am officially a soap lush!

Vegan Almond Lip Balm ($4.50): I LOVE that this lip balm comes in a slide tin! LOVE it! It’s easy to store in my purse or pocket and honestly, it’s fun to open and close. This vegan balm (beeswax-free, YAY!) contains only vegetable and plant oils, butters and waxes. It’s moisturizing, tasty, it makes my lips feel quenched, and it smells like marsipan (←best part)!

Citrus Aromatherapy Lotion ($12.60): This spritz-and-go lotion is perfect for when you’re on the move, in a bit of a time crunch or just prefer a refreshing spray of anytime moisturizer (sometime I just don’t feel like gettin’ my hands all goopified or I’m straight-up lazy). This lotion absorbs super fast and it feels great; it gives your skin the extra love it needs with vegetable and fruit oils and butters like shea, mango and almond. The citrusy smell (grapefruit, lemon and orange), which is gender-neutral (so go ahead and spritz some on your man candy) is delicate and light. I leeeeerve it!

Want info on new Kalliste products (like wine soaps), sales specials, limited time discounts, secret coupon codes and giveaways? Friend Kalliste Soap Shop on Facebook!

Buy soap, save animals!

Sunny — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 21:58:37 +0000

Strawberry Hedgehog’s Raven House Charity Soap Set (tea tree-rosemary facial soap, eucalyptus-lime, sweet orange-clove, and lemongrass-ginger) has some of Tracy’s best selling organic oils soaps, and as a bonus, you get to support a great cause! $20 of every $30 from this set sold between 6/8-7/10 will go to Raven House Animal Sanctuary!

$33 value, save $3!

Tea tree-rosemary facial cleanser ($9) clarifying-cooling-purifying

This mildly scrubby bar of organic oils glycerin soap is just as perfect for your face as our other bars are for your body! Whole rosemary provides strong antioxidant activity, peppermint refreshes and brightens skin and gently exfoliates while pure tea tree essential oil kills break-out causing bacteria! this gentle, cleansing, and balancing bar is great for all skin-types but is perfect for oily to combination skin!

Eucalyptus-lime handmade body soap: ($8) refresh-purify-balance

AS SEEN ON TV! This green beauty will open your eyes and your sinuses with healing eucalyptus, cheerful and uplifting lime and key lime, as well as a hint of lavender. Perfect for anyone with sinus issues or bombarded with pollution on a daily basis.

Sweet orange-clove handmade body soap: ($8) warming-comforting-cheering

FARMER’S MARKET BEST SELLER! This orange-swirled bar has the refreshing, cheerful scent of pure sweet orange and the mysterious comfort of pure clove bud. Think fresh, homemade pomander and you’ve got the idea. Vibrant color from natural annotto seeds!

Lemongrass-ginger handmade body soap: ($8) vitalize-strengthen-center

Inspired by a signature high end spa scent, this baby is made to energize! With the green-fresh scent of lemongrass and the spicy warming scent of ginger this yellow lovely is balanced out with just a hint of cedarwood. Colored only with anti-inflammatory turmeric.

Ingredients: 100% certified organic coconut oils with some certified organic palm oil (saponified), H2O, veggie glycerin, sorbitol (from berries), sorbitan oleate (from vegetable essential fatty acids), pure essential oils, natural herbs, spices, and minerals

Kalliste Wine Soap Bar Giveaway!

Sunny — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 18:20:01 +0000

There are some pretty amazing vegan giveaways going on right now and I wanted to share this one with you from Kalliste Organic, Natural and Vegan Bath & Body – you can enter to win a vegan wine soap bar (10 winners will be selected on June 15th)! I haven’t tried this new soap bar out yet (it actually hasn’t been officially released online or in stores yet), but it sounds so interesting (and tasty!) Click here to enter to win!

Organic, vegan soaps from Hawaii make me feel like a tropical princess

Sunny — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 15:20:19 +0000

I’m very proud to say there is definitely no shortage of organic, vegan bars of soaps. Vegan soaps are not only the healthiest for your skin but the quality of these soaps is unlike anything else. There happen to be a lot of fabulous vegan soap companies in Hawaii but I recently discovered a new tropical gem, Maui Soap Company. They are an independently run, small business that make vegan and organic bath & body products like lotions, soaps and lip balms that are simply exquisite.

I got the chance to try their Lime Litsea Soap ($5.49) and it was a tropical delight. These soaps are made on Maui and it’s like they pack all the essence of the island in each bar of soap. I’ve been wanting to go to Hawaii for such a long time, and it’s soaps like these that make me want to book a flight out there asap. Maui Soap Company uses the purest, most natural, organic ingredients. Here are the ingredients for this particular bar of soap…

Ingredients: Saponified oils (organic olive oil, organic palm oil, and organic coconut oil), mango butter, lime essential oil, litsea essential oil, and sprulina

I also got to try their Vanilla Lip Balm ($3.99). Vanilla is one of my all time favorite scents; I think it’s because it reminds me of cake. So the thought of smearing vanilla, cake-like goodness on my smackers is always a good thing. This lip balm is soothing and it’s the perfect consistency. We all know it’s hard to find vegan lip balms. Most lip balms unfortunately contain bee vomit (which is what honey and beeswax essentially are). Seriously why can’t all lip balm manufacturers rock candelilla wax in their lip balm formulas? Anywho, I frickin’ love this lip balm. Bottom line: it smells delicious and it makes my lips feel nutritious.

Ingredients: Organic palm fruit oil, organic coconut oil, candelilla wax, organic jojoba oil, vanilla oil, Vitamin E

I highly urge you to support these small, independently run businesses that practice sustainability, promote health and the vegan lifestyle.

For more info: Maui Soap Company